Several attempts to remake a successful tragicomedy, this time in our own, Czech-Slovak.
Several diverse couples, longtime friends, meet with one divorced friend for New Year’s Eve dinner. They eat, drink, everyone strokes, they have a lot behind them and they know each other like their own shoes. Or not? Doesn’t each of them’s cell phones hide secrets that others don’t know about? And sometimes not even their partner? This will soon be revealed by a game designed by one of them. Everyone puts their phones on the table, and from then on, every message, mail, photo or call that arrives that evening is available to everyone. Not only do irritating topics begin to open up, but really unpleasant secrets are soon revealed.
For some, The Unknown will be better known, as it is the plot of the Italian original Absolute Foreigners, which has received the most remakes in film history. Many countries have their version here, with their faces. Fortunately, the Czech-Slovak version was created a bit with a distance, so even if the viewer saw the original Italian, French or German version, which took place through our cinemas, then he may not remember so much of them. It is almost impossible not to compare with the original and the difference in quality is obvious. Just because in the Italian version the sharp scenes seemed much more natural, it is not for nothing that we compare the drama in relations with the Italian household. The original was more intimate and less shiny, our films for some reason can’t forgive any imperfections, because of that everything looks sterile and far from reality.
Dialogues do not look natural, which is probably the biggest nut.For Slovak director Zuzana Marianková, Známá unknown is the first feature film, but comedy is quite a bite. Dialogues do not look natural, which is probably the biggest nut. It is difficult to make the aggravated situation look like normal life. He relies too much on the characters to imprint some charisma on the actors, but he can’t count on it one hundred percent. The film is not overly full of temperament, so it fits better with our, Czech and Slovak, mentality. But we will not find many jokes about our specifics or differences here. Or rather none. The film does not try to do things differently, according to the director, there was no room for improvisation due to time pressure. So there was not much to spoil, so in theory… To satisfy the audience from both countries, Czech and Slovak actors had to combine here, so that the couples are all half. Very natural, isn’t it? Sometimes the picture is rough, other times embarrassing. But it should be noted that the embarrassment does not reach dizzying heights and it was possible to catch up.
A lot of things remained misunderstood from the original film, and maybe that’s why it turned out like this in our version. We hardly know the characters and the atmosphere says nothing about these friends and partners being happy with each other. We can hardly like them then. For example, Bianca (Táňa Pauhofová) with a relentless smile instead of a heartfelt and kind figure looks like a naive idiot, to her husband (Tomáš Měcháček) it is difficult to believe the role of the seducer. You can watch Martin Hofmann, Tomáš Maštalír and Klára Issová. The slide is greasy unsalted because chemistry doesn’t work between anyone. Quarrels barely raise our heart rate. We wouldn’t care if all the characters parted at the end or killed each other. The conclusion remains true to the original and it’s good, but if we don’t expect it, its rough presentation will stop at first and someone may not understand what he was looking at, because what made sense in the original is reworked here exactly not to give it away.
When two people do the same thing, it’s not. Nevertheless, this will be enough for a lot of viewers, the film will be a comedic for the uninitiated. He will probably receive a spectator response and, for example, inspire domestic filmmakers that it is possible to make a film in this way, without embarrassment, sexism, naked scenes. But the acquaintances of the unknown certainly had more.
“Are we expecting a baby, or did you eat too much tiramisu?”
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“I’ve heard this before, in an Italian movie.”
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“I have nothing to hide, but don’t touch my cell phone!”
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Known unknown
When two people do the same thing, it’s not. Nevertheless, this will be enough for a lot of viewers, the film will be a comedic for the uninitiated. He will probably receive a spectator response and, for example, inspire domestic filmmakers that it is possible to make a film in this way, without embarrassment, sexism, naked scenes. But the acquaintances of the unknown certainly had more.
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